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Guide

MP4 to WAV: get your video's sound as an editable WAV

Drop an MP4 above and get its sound as a 16-bit WAV, ready for an audio editor or a transcription tool. Nothing is uploaded.

In short

  • This tool saves the sound of an MP4 as a WAV file, ready to edit.
  • The WAV is 16-bit and keeps the video's own sample rate and channels.
  • A WAV takes about 11.5 MB for every minute of 48 kHz stereo sound.
  • Audio editors, transcription tools and noise clean-up all work best from a WAV.
  • Your file is not uploaded. The whole thing runs inside this browser tab.
Drawn desk scene: a phone and a laptop with a lime arrow between them.
Illustration by Cutroom, AI-generated

MP4 to WAV

Runs in your browser · files never leave this page

Drop an MP4 here

or

16-bit stereo at 48 kHz ≈ 12 MB a minute. Rate × channels × 2 bytes × seconds.

Choose a file first.

Your file never leaves this page. The engine downloads once, the work happens in this tab, and there is no upload, no account and no storage. Close the tab and the file is gone unless you downloaded it.

More free tools: Video compressor · Video resizer · Video to MP4 · Video to MP3 · Video clipper · all tools

Try for freeCutroom turns one take into a finished 9:16 video with captions, b-roll and a hook. Your first video is free.

Should you pick WAV or MP3?

A WAV keeps the sound as it is. An MP3 makes it small.

  • Pick WAV when you are going to edit, clean up or transcribe the sound.
  • Pick MP3 when someone is only going to listen to it. The free MP4 to MP3 converter makes one.

WAV and MP3 side by side

WAVMP3
SoundThe video's sound, not compressed againCompressed again
Size per minuteAbout 11.5 MB (48 kHz stereo)0.96 to 2.4 MB
Best forEditing, transcripts, clean-upListening, sharing

  • : Sound

    WAV
    The video's sound, not compressed again
    MP3
    Compressed again

  • : Size per minute

    WAV
    About 11.5 MB (48 kHz stereo)
    MP3
    0.96 to 2.4 MB

  • : Best for

    WAV
    Editing, transcripts, clean-up
    MP3
    Listening, sharing

What is in the WAV

The tool changes as little as it can.

  • The WAV is 16-bit, the same as a music CD.
  • The sample rate is kept from the video, usually 48 or 44.1 kHz.
  • Stereo stays stereo and mono stays mono.
  • The picture is dropped, because a WAV holds sound and nothing else.

This is the whole editor

Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.

CLIPS · 5I have thisexact conversationeverysingle week. Somebody sits down and says,oh yeah, I takecinnamonevery day.And honestly, doc, I have no idea if it works.So let me tell you what isin that capsule.a clip lands on these wordscut from the editTAKING CINNAMONEVERY DAY?is it doing anythingHeadlineMusicCaptionsTHIS VIDEOLength25.0sClips5Words removed18Export video

How big the WAV gets

A WAV's size depends only on how long it is and how it was recorded.

  • The tool works it out as sample rate × channels × 2 bytes, for every second.
  • There is no quality setting to change, because a WAV is never compressed.
  • A 10-minute 48 kHz stereo WAV is about 115 MB, so it is too big to email.

WAV size per minute

Sound in the videoPer minutePer 10 minutes
48 kHz stereo11.5 MB115 MB
44.1 kHz stereo10.6 MB106 MB
48 kHz mono5.8 MB58 MB

  • Sound in the video: 48 kHz stereo

    Per minute
    11.5 MB
    Per 10 minutes
    115 MB

  • Sound in the video: 44.1 kHz stereo

    Per minute
    10.6 MB
    Per 10 minutes
    106 MB

  • Sound in the video: 48 kHz mono

    Per minute
    5.8 MB
    Per 10 minutes
    58 MB

How to convert an MP4 to WAV

Four steps, all in this tab. Only the sound is read, never the picture, so even a long recording is quick.

MP4 to WAV in four steps

  1. Drop your MP4

    In the box at the top

  2. Nothing to set

    The sound is kept as it is

  3. Press Extract WAV

    The picture is dropped

  4. Download the WAV

    Saved to your device

Limits of a browser tool

Everything runs on your own device, so your device sets the limits.

  • File size: up to 500 MB runs comfortably. Bigger files may run out of memory.
  • Speed: the engine uses one processor core, so a long re-encode takes minutes.
  • First run: the engine downloads once, about 32 MB. After that it starts fast.
  • Phones: it works, but a laptop is faster and has more memory.

Questions people ask

Does converting MP4 to WAV improve the sound?
No. The WAV holds the video's sound without compressing it again, but it cannot undo the compression already in the MP4. It is the best copy you can get.
Why is the WAV file so big?
A WAV stores every sample, so its size depends only on length: about 11.5 MB a minute for 48 kHz stereo.
Which sample rate does the WAV use?
The one in your video, usually 48 kHz. Nothing is resampled, so the sound still matches the video's timing.
Can I get an MP3 instead?
Yes. The free MP4 to MP3 converter makes a small MP3 at 128, 192 or 320 kbps.
Is my MP4 uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs inside this browser tab, so your MP4 never leaves your device. Only the engine itself is downloaded, about 32 MB, once per visit.

Want a finished video with captions, not just an audio file? Cutroom edits your clip for you. Your first video is free.

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